By Daniela Lorraine Brutas

PHOTO: Philippine Daily Inquirer

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has withdrawn its show-cause order issued against Manila Mayor Isko Moreno over the alleged failure of the city government’s implementation of the memorandum in relation to the war on drugs.

DILG Undersecretary for External and Legislative Affairs Ricojudge Echiverri explained in a memorandum issued on Friday that the show-cause order against Moreno was an “inadvertent re-issuance.”



Echiverri had issued a show-cause order dated July 9, 2021, asking Moreno to explain within 10 days why he should not be held administratively liable for allegedly failing to comply with the policy and program mandated to his office.

“Based on our assessment and verification in the 2018 Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ADAC) performance audit, you have failed to comply with the policy and program mandated to your office, specifically in meeting the standards and complying with the measures set forth by the National Anti-Drug Abuse Council Audit as provided by the DILG-DDB Joint Memorandum Circular 2018001,” read the show cause order dated July 9, 2021, signed by Ricojudge Javier Echiverri, DILG Undersecretary for External and Legislative Affairs.

The DILG then revoked the order after the agency drew flak from netizens.

"By virtue of this error and the guidance of policies and procedures of the department, we are hereby withdrawing the document in issue," he said in a memorandum addressed to DILG-NCR.



Moreover, Echiverri recalled that the show-cause order last July 9 was actually the second one issued to Moreno— the first one being in 2019 when he was already elected mayor of Manila but still based on the 2018 audit.

Echiverri then acknowledged “the 2018 audit reflected the poor performance of the City Government of Manila under the previous mayor, considering Moreno only became the mayor of Manila when he ran and won against former President Joseph Estrada in 2019.

The new memorandum, however, still did not explain why both the 2019 and July 9 show-cause orders did not take into account that Moreno was not even a part of the Manila city government; instead, he was serving as undersecretary for Luzon Affairs of the  Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) from May to October 2018.


Report source: ABS-CBN News